Comments on: Essential Skills for Basic Residential Computer Repair Work

By: bishop

bishop — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:04:48 +0000

Great writing! nice to share with my students

By: POS Systems

POS Systems — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:22:59 +0000

Good article.This information is really helpful for all. Thanks for sharing good information.

By: Jasen

Jasen — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:59:48 +0000

This site is great, the help you guys have given is priceless. Your site has increased my confidence in the field 10x. Keep em coming, we’ll keep appreciating it. Thanks a lot to all who help. P2Peace.

By: Its Me LunchBox

Its Me LunchBox — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 04:10:25 +0000

Great article. I always try to keep up with my knowledge and this article helps ensure that I do not have any gaps in my skill and knoweldge.

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:52:18 +0000

Would be great if you created a guide to explain each of the items you mentioned above. For example, a guide that explains how to do the things you mentioned in the “Troubleshoot Hardware Problems” section.

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 07:55:58 +0000

Great article! I’ve been waiting for something like this.

Bryce,

You should write one about either advanced skills for residential users or basic skills for businesses.

I’m actually going to print this and check off each. I do on-site computer repair and I’ve recently gotten A LOT more work and I’d say I know at least 50%-75% of the stuff you listed. But, I should know all of it plus more.

Thanks again and great article!

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:07:18 +0000

Thanks for a great page!
This is an essential piece of info and resources that I could have used when I was new to the biz, and a great refresher now!

By: InterNet Age

InterNet Age — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:23:15 +0000

“Know how to Google”

Priceless advise, what can I say! It is all about being able to use the tool to get the required results at the end of the day, isn’t it!

By: Computer Repair Royal Oak MI - C! Tech Solutions

Computer Repair Royal Oak MI - C! Tech Solutions — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:33:03 +0000

This is a great list. I’d add the following:

Know how to make cabling

Having the tools and the skills to be able to crimp RJ-45, F-connectors, and RJ-11 is incredibly handy. It also lets you buy cable in bulk, make it on the spot, and even if you sell it at a lower price than the cable available at retail, you can still make a few bucks and provide a valuable service.

Plus it makes networking equipment look far more tidy when there isn’t a 6 foot cable connecting a router and modem 1 foot away from each other.

Know how to work with disk images

Disk cloning technology means never having to say you’re sorry. It’s the ultimate protection against a virus removal gone bad, or a disk-failure while working on a system. Software like Acronis TrueImage or Macrium Reflect have changed the way I not only sell backup systems, but handle work in the shop. You should be able to clone a disk, restore individual files or partitions, and transfer an image from and old, small hard drive to a bigger one, all while dealing with the hidden partitions and restore partitions that are on many OEM systems.

By: Erik Ehresman

Erik Ehresman — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:52:12 +0000

I really appreciated that post. I have a little computer repair shop and I take in people who would like to learn and train them from time to time. It is good to have a list that compares to my own list for training future techs.